Customer Reviews

Imagine [VHS]

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've loved John Lennon all my life and this movie is an excellent canvass of his life. Though the film takes you through all 40 years of John's life, the emphasis is on the period 1970-71, where the bulk of the film rests. There is at least thirty minutes of fascinating footage from 1970 and shows John in the studio, recording the album "Imagine" with the gnome-like Phil Spector sitting in the control booth. One of my favorite scenes is John rehearsing and singing the beautiful "Jealous Guy" in front of the microphone. What a time piece!

Another lovely scene takes place at John's Titenhurst mansion in 1970. A homeless hippy has been sleeping in John's garden and the camera shows John and Yoko confronting him. The hippy rhapsodizes about the Beatles song "Carry that Weight," and extols the lyrics. John sardonically says, "Yeah, well that was *Paul* singing that!" Then the Lennon's invite the homeless man in for some breakfast.

There is additional footage from the early 70's of John with George Harrison. The interviews with Elliot Mintz are OK, but I would have preferred more actual footage of Lennon. They show some footage from his 1971 concert and much backstage material and interviews. There is plenty of information and film of the aftermath of his tragic assassination and the rivers of tears that produced. The years of the Beatles are covered, but not in any great depth. Get the Anthology for more in-depth material on the Fab Four. In short, a lovely film about one of the cultural icons of the 20th century. If you love John Lennon, get this film.

December 8, 1980 - New York City
"John Lennon, the guiding spirit of The Beatles, dead tonight at 40."

Those immortal words at the end of the movie bring tears to everyone who was a fan of John Lennon. I remember hearing and seeing that news report from a hospital bed at 6 years old. It was and always will be a tragic memory. The man who resurfaced after a 5 year absence with a powerhouse of music destined for new life had been cut short just a few hours after an interview where he said:

"My work won't be finished until I'm dead and buried. And I hope that's a long, long time."

The long time was 2-3 hours.

The movie is an intimate portrait of Lennon's life and legacy. It exposes the chaos behind the myth, as well as the genius behind the man. With all the tales from friends, associates, Paul, George, Ringo, and George Martin on "The Beatles Anthology," this one focuses on Lennon's life in his own words and home videos. Taken directly from the archives of the man himself, there has never been a better documentary on Lennon. From Liverpool beginnings to the end in New York City, watch the boy become a superstar, the superstar into a man, and the man become a legend.

Remember John Lennon 1940 - 1980

Robert Eldridge (...)

It is with a heavy heart that I write this review, on the 25th anniversary of the death of working class hero John Lennon. This man, this very human man, was one of four people I have truly looked up to as a hero but not for the normal reasons that heroes are made of. For these past years it is still hard to accept that he was gunned down in the streets of New York and in an ironic way his killer is having his own words broadcast on television around the world. I am sure that Lennon would have seen the irony and would probably have made some sarcastic comment.

However, I purchased this DVD some two days ago but reserved it's playing until today. I had previously owned a PAL VHS copy so I was very happy to own the DVD. As others have stated this is a warts and all documentary with the narration by Lennon, in his own write as it were, culled from hundreds of hours of interviews. It is a poignant reminder of the meteoric and historic rise and fall of one of the most charismatic of four Liverpool lads forging their own path through the music business in the 1950's. While the film itself has been much documented it is the features of this edition which are new but to me they are merely a side issue here.

This DVD keeps the man and his music in the public purview and tribute must be paid to the work of Yoko Ono who has stood fast behind his legacy, personal, public and musically. It can be argued, as others have done, that the features on this disc do little to justify the "deluxe" tag which I feel is a little unfair. Certainly from the sound and picture point of view it is much cleared up and sounds a whole lot better than it does on my video copy.

For most people who buy this documentary, the features will be of relatively little import although there are some out there, and I include myself in this category, who will pore over every word and picture. I will admit however, that the previously unreleased live rendition of Imagine is an essential for fans who continue to anxiously await the next rare release.

For the conspiracy theorists out there, there is much more than a coincidence about the slew of releases of media material in the last thirteen weeks from the various ex-beatle camps, but this really does mark the handover of generations to younger people for whom the Beatles and Sixties have little or no meaning. Musicians today have much to thank the group for in the pathbreaking , one could say buccaneer, way they changed the music business.

Imagine is a fine testament to the career of a man who led the way in many areas and who will continue to be mourned by millions. Let us not forget his championship of peace and the underdog especially at this time of year.

To absent friends...

A must for any John Lennon or Beatles fan. Narrated by John, a video diary seemingly begun in 1971 continuing into the 80's, talking about his life from a child, to meeting the Beatles, all the madness surrounding that craze, meeting Yoko, his quest for peace. Accompanied by an appropriate Lennon soundtrack. Includes interviews with Brian Epstein, George Martin, John's Aunt Mimi, first wife Cynthia, Julian Lennon, footage of classic performances, as well as the "rattle your jewelry" quote and the first trip to America and press conferences. John dealing with nutty fans camped outside his house. Really had the heart to help these confused and probably broke hippies. John working in the studio. The madness following the "bigger than the Beatles" comment. Strawberry Fields Forever music video. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and Yellow Submarine. Revolution and the Vietnam War. The public criticism of John's marriage to Yoko. Yoko helping out in the studio while recording "Oh Yoko." The jerk reporters who attended the bed-in. John and George working on "How Do You Sleep." All the walls they came across during their peace movement. Yoko encouraging John's visual art, and it then being taken from the museum for being "pornographic." Tender moments with Sean, and an interview with teenage Sean. Strange, peculiar, foreshadowing to John's tragic murder. "Where there's life there's hope. My work won't be finished until I'm dead and buried, which I hope won't be for a long time yet." There is even a moment where John and Yoko are going through their mail and find a letter from a psychic predicting John will be assasinated, but in March. This movie could not have been done better. It's amazing to learn all these hardships they went through, not just for them, but for peace, for their fans, and they never once gave up. The power of one man. A visual tribute to a hero, a father, a husband, a musician, a leader, and a man. Have your hankies ready towards the end.

THE FEATURE
For those who have nerver seen this documentary, I'll just say that it's one of the best ever made about a music artist. The basis is 240 hours of film and videotape, from various interviews and personal Lennon/Ono collection, all edited and compiled to make a 106 minutes document that is the definitive Lennon biography (as shown by the fact that it was made in 1988, and I don't think anybody ever dared to argue that it was "incomplete") covering his entire life. But let's get this straight: this biography isn't exhaustive, or full of details. Even so, in the end we get the feeling that we have a complete picture of the kind of person that John was, and his ideas.
The most impressive thing for me is the absence of a main narrator. The story is carried by the images and the interviews, given by Lennon himself, and the people that were close to him. Therefore, there's no definitive judgment about his life and works. You become a witness, so you can make your own conclusions.
The feature is in WIDESCREEN and Dolby Digital Stereo. Since it's a documentary, it has a great amount of musical bits and performances, but not in a complete form.

THE EXTRAS.
I really didn't find nothing special in the extras as to call this DVD a "Deluxe Edition". They are a few extras that you normally would expect on a DVD release:
-John Lennon Trivia Track. It consists in a SUBTITLE option, that will give you, throughout the movie, relevant information that might be of interest for you. As you would expect with any trivia, it deals with everything, from facts of John's life, information about the making of the movie, historical facts, etc.
-A tribute to John Lennon. A 15 minute special with interviews of the filmmakers. Though some information is interesting, most of this extra feels as more of the same of what the movie already contains
-Truth be told. A 1971, 5:30 minutes John and Yoko interview by the BBC, about a limited topic: sex and relationships in young people and the pop music.
-Accoustic IMAGINE: the most valuable extra, it's a performance of the trademark song with Lennon and 2 musicians more, only with guitar. A taste of what "John Lennon unplugged" would have been. It's a one camera take, filmed very close, from one side.
-Never-before-seen island house footage from Tittenhurst Estate. An unedited home video. Not much going on.
-The Headmaster look back. A short interview with William Ernest Pobjoy, headmaster of Lennon's grammar school, in which he remembers John's school days. This extra also feels as more of the same of what the movie contains.
-John Lennon Music Guide. A DVD ROM only feature, it's an alphabetical archive of Lennon's (and Beatles) songs, with a little information about each one, like year, album, composer, and cover versions. It would have been very good to include some lines about inspiration or meaning of the songs, but there's nothing like that.

CONCLUSION: I'm quite satisfied with this release, since the feature itself is reason enough to have it. It was about time this documentary was available on DVd once again.

"Imagine" is a feature length documentary about John Lennon's life, centred around the "Imagine" recording sessions, but also featuring footage from the Beatle era, his marriage with Yoko, his "lost weekend" period and a few home movies, all the way to the year of his death. It uses John's own voice as narration, taken from the hours of interviews he did throughout his life, and features alternate and remixed versions of his songs as a soundtrack of sorts, as well as interviews from all sorts of people, from Sean Lennon to George Martin. Though it's not as detailed (or as long) as say "The Beatles Anthology", I still think it is a really fine look at John Lennon's life.

Every moment of the film is interesting, I reckon, and if I was to pick a favorite scene, I'd probably pick the whole thing! There's John's encounter with a "tripping" fan at his doorstep, who he talks lyrics with and invites in for tea. There's an interview with May Pang (John's one time mistress), who suggests that John's "lost weekend" period wasn't so lost (he released a few albums during that period, socialized a lot more and collaborated with a lot of people). There's the bed-in debate between John and cartoonist Al Capp over lyrics, art and money (one of the most infamous scenes of the film). The movie captures who John was really well, I thought. He was a thoughtful man, a witty man, whose words were often misunderstood despite the fact he put out his point of view honestly and openly. The places he live in seem to be characters in the documentary too, I think, and evoke the things John liked to surround himself with. The peace of Tittenhurst Estate, the bustle of 1960s London, the "big Liverpool" feel of early 1980s New York, they're all great backdrops to the tale.

Special features include "A Tribute To John Lennon", a more recent piece where the filmmakers (and Yoko) discuss the making of the documentary, gushing about John on the way. There's the "Truth Be Told" interview, which was originally done for radio, though for the DVD you get the visual footage too. In the interview John discusses love, sex and "selling out" throughout the history of art. There's an acoustic version of "Imagine", an interview with John's school principal William Pobjoy regarding John's school days and friendship with Pete Shotton, plus footage of John buying a constructing a small playhouse on an island in the lake at Tittenhurst Estate. What's most interesting about this footage, I think, is Julian Lennon's relationship with Yoko. At least in those days, they seem to be getting on quite well, Yoko waving to Jules across the lake and Julian happily calling back.

Definitely worth a look for Beatles fans and documentaries.

'Imagine' is an intimate keepsake of John Lennon. Compared to a written autobiography, this collection is far more memorable. We get to see and hear him at key moments of his life. What a gift it is to have collected interviews where he is expounding about songs, life, and people. There are also home movies to treasure. Then, there are movie and other clips that show his career highlights. Key people are also interviewed separately: Julian Lennon, Sean Lennon, Cynthia Twist (Lennon), Yoko Ono, Aunt Mimi, George Martin, intimate friends. It is unvarnished. There are startlingly intimate scenes: He is compassionate, angry, combative, loving, articulate, and passionate. They give us the full character of his bed-ins, his "lost weekend," his 'Two Virgins' sessions, and many family scenes. We seem him clowning around with Phil Spector; later we see him humanly losing his patience. He is being grilled by interviewers, and he is answering with scathing directness or winning humor. We lost John Lennon, and it was unfair that he wasn't allowed to grow old with the family that returned the happiness he gave to the world, but we are at least compensated with this collection. We wouldn't have forgotten him, but his vivid life details will help his presence to live on.

(The extras are good. The extra interviews of John and Yoko and the musical extra are worth a look. The "trivia" section may be an acquired taste: You watch the main movie with information pop-ups coming to the screen.)

"Imagine" is a warm beautiful celebration of John Lennon's life as told in his own words and the words of those who loved him and supported his mission. His idealism is prominent, but so is his charismatic personality and comedic interchange with the media.

John Lennon's art expands way beyond his poetic lyrics and melodies and we find him to be a much more complex man than we may have realized before. Here he expresses his romantic side in sketches we find displayed on walls while he and Yoko luxuriate in their newlywed bliss. Later they are shown in a way that almost portrays a more innocent side of soul love (gazing into each other's eyes and kissing is all you truly see) or a love that goes back to the beginning of time. It is as if they remove the outer trappings of life and put on each other's souls. John is then shown embracing his role as a father and balances his responsibilities all while maintaining a fascinating powerful presence.

John Lennon's beautiful heart reveals itself most poignantly in a moment where he explains his lyrics to a homeless man with haunting blue eyes and then asks: "Are you hungry?" You could feel his concern for those around him in moments where he connects so deeply with souls still searching for their purpose. There is also a beautiful moment where John and Yoko build a little cabin/playhouse out on an island. They row across and walk into the house. Then as the camera pulls away, the silence of the scene says more than any narration ever could.

Fan mania is captured very effectively during the footage of his early days with the Beatles, but the true beauty and appreciation for his music seems to evolve from the quiet sessions in the recording studio. The footage on this DVD seems more unique than most and also shows a concert on the roof and combative conversations with the media who seemed to truly not understand his dream. He spoke to the hearts of those who were tired of chaos and wanted peace in a world moving towards a more kosmocentric awareness.

What strikes me as being the most beautiful aspect of this Deluxe edition is the uniqueness of the presentation and how well the story is woven together to create a warm memory so alive with John Lennon's presence, his music and his life purpose. "Imagine" is a strikingly honest portrait of a poet, father, artist and musician who still finds a place in the hearts of those who discover his magic.

~The Rebecca Review

I saw this film when it came out. It was a great narrative of John's life and a tear jerker as well. The scene that stuck with me all of these years is when a dirty smelly hippie shows up at John's front door. He'd been sleeping on the grounds for several days. John came out to talk to him and then invited him in to eat. It really shows what an un-selfish man John Lennon was. This is a film for the permanant collection.

This film is one of the best video-biographies of famous people I have seen. Narrated by John Lennon and others this video is very revealing, interesting, highly entertaining and provides a great tribute to the man, the music and his legacy. Highly recommended to anyone.